Welcome to Body Life Massage

Welcome to Body Life Massage, located at Sweers Family Chiropractic in Clive.

Body Life Massage is locally owned and operated by Julie Counsell, providing individualized massage programs to address athletic fatigue, injury, stress and more. Every person is different and I work with clients to understand specific areas of concern to develop an individualized therapy plan.

Common practice areas include:

Athletic Therapy

Training for an upcoming event or undertaking a regular exercise routine? Focused treatment will reduce recovery time, soreness, help with injury prevention, and provide welcome muscle relaxation to reward and motivate continued training. My clients in marathon training experience increased pace and substantially reduced recovery times between long and short runs.

Injury Recovery

For people recovering from long or short term injuries, whether acute or chronic, I focus on muscles around affected areas. This treatment releases the “guarded” muscles to significantly reduce day-to-day pain and muscle fatigue. Treatment plans vary based on type of injury. Most clients experience immediate relief, with further or ongoing treatments developed specifically for each person.

Stress Management

The impact of chronic stress on our bodies is well documented and the chemical causes continue to be studied. Symptoms of chronic stress include anxiety, depression, headaches, insomnia, and resulting behavioral changes that affect your health and family relationships. These symptoms may not be consistent nor easily recognizable. I provide therapies shown to positively manage cortisol and other hormonal responses, with long-lasting results. I design individualized treatment plans for people experiencing chronic stress.

Services

Therapeutic Massage – 60 minutes $70 | 90 minutes $90

Most popular massage! Includes long gliding strokes, kneading, friction, tapping, and shaking motions. Massaging the skin, the body’s largest organ, affects the nerves, muscles, glands, and circulation, and promotes health and wellbeing. Best choice for relaxation and stress relief.

Athletic Massage – 60 minutes $70 | 90 minutes $90

Depending on the needs of the athlete, a variety of techniques are used including classic Swedish strokes, cross-fiber friction, pressure-point work, and joint mobilization.

Trigger Point Therapy – 60 minutes $70 | 90 minutes $90

Neuromuscular Therapy is a program of recovery from acute and chronic pain syndromes by utilizing specific massage therapy, including the pressure of trigger points, to eliminate the causes of pain patterns. This approach brings about balance between the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system. It enhances the function of joints, muscles, and movement, and it releases endorphins, the body’s own natural pain killers.

Deep Tissue – 90 minutes $90

Deep tissue massage is designed to relieve severe tension in the muscle and the connective tissue or fascia. This type of massage focuses on the muscles located below the surface of the top muscles. The term “deep tissue” is often misused to identify a massage that is performed with sustained deep pressure. Deep tissue massage is applied to both the superficial and deep layers of muscles, fascia, and other structures.

About

My name is Julie Counsell, Licensed Massage Therapist and founder of Body Life Massage.

I grew up and attended college in South East Iowa, before beginning work in Des Moines and settling in Waukee in 2013.

I am passionate about promoting good health as naturally and holistically as possible, and have over 750 hours of formal training in massage therapy.

Outside of massage, I enjoy traveling, and recently walked the length of the West Highland Way in Scotland – where the pictures on this website were taken. I can often be found running on the Raccoon River Trail and on the weekends riding a small motorcycle through small town Iowa.

Body Life Massage is a local, boutique practice, and my focus is on building long-term relationships with clients to improve overall wellness.